Strap for meat casks



March. l0. 1925.

G. E. CLARK sTRP FOR MEATA cAsKs Filed Jan. 16 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l f @Kif/iii- 4 f/ March l0. 19257 l G, E.

l STRAP .FORMEAT cAsKs .CLARK Filed aan'. 16, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 Mar, if), 1925.

UNITED-STATES GEORGE E. CLARK, OF WATEBTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

STRAP non MEAT onsite.

Application led January 16, 1924. Serial No. 686,535.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVatertown, in the county of Middlesex and 5 State of Massachusetts, have invented Vnew and useful Improvements in Straps for Meat Casks, of which'the following is a specification.

. In the process of curing many kinds of l meat, it is held for some time immersed in brine or other treating liquid. I'Ieretofore this brine, or other liquid, has been contained in casks or hogsheads, the meat being placed therein and held down in the liquid l by the use of wood blocks of various shapes and sizes fitted into place to bridge across the container above the meat. A large assortment of these blocks is necessary to suit the individual containers and the shape or other characteristics of the meat contents. These blocks can not be readily kept clean and sanitary and they are liable to become lost. It is also common, when these blocks are used, for portions of the pieces'of meat to project above thesurface of the liquid, these projected portions becoming prey for rats which are always present in more or less numbers in -meat packingy establishments. Considerable time is also required to strap and unstrap the meat when these blocks are used.

This invention, therefore, has for its object the provision of meat strapping devices comprising few parts, easily kept in sanitary condition, and not liable to loss, by

which the strapping can be securely accomplished, by which the strapping and unstrapping of the meat may be easily and quickly eii'ected, and by which when the .fio meat is strapped no portions thereof may project above the surface of. the liquid. f

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which--` Figure 1 is a'central vertical cross section through a cask or hogshead showing the meat strapped therein by the device of this invention.l

Figure 2 is a top plan of the same.

Figure 3 is a section through a member fixed to the cask showing the retaining blocks in position, the section being taken on line 3 3 of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a' Perspective et this Figure 5 is a perspective of the retaining block. y Y l v n vFigure 6 is a perspective ofa modified form of presser plate.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section through 60 the upper portionv `of a cask showing the plate of Figure 6 in use.

Referring first to the form shown in Figures 1 to 5, at 1 are indicated in Figure 1, a pair of channel shaped members, one of which is shown detached in Figure 4. Each of these'members has a basey 2 preferably formed slightly curved tol conform to the inner face of the Cask/or hogshead 3 to which two of these members may 70 be fixed in opposed relation adjacent its upperend. The curved base 2 is formed in this manner since the inner wall of the cask or hogshead is curved, but it isof course evident that if the container were otherwise shaped, the base 2 could be made to correspond therewith. a Extending from opposite sides of this base are'spaced fianges 4, and as shown, one end of each flange is wider than the other so that when the meni- 80. bers are in position on the downward and outwardly flaring walls of the container, .the free edges of these fiangesare substantially j vertical. Each of the flanges L is provided with a series of spaced notches 5, the notches of one flange being disposed.. opposite pto the notches ofthe other. At the upper end ofv each member are a pair of laterally extendedv ears 6. Each member is fixed in position to the inner' wall of the cask as by means of screws 7 p Fitting interchangeably in the slots 5 of each member are a pair of blocks 10, one of which is shown detached in Figure 5, Each block has a central shank portion 11 somewhat thinner than the width of the slots 5 so that the block may be slipped into position in any pair of oppositely disposed slots in the channel flanges. Beyond these flanges at each end the block -10 is formed with a head 12, oneof these heads as shown being perforated at 13 for the receptionv of a cable or chain 14, the opposite end of which passes throughone-of the perforated ears 6 where it may be made fast, This permits the pair of blocks to be placed` in position in any of the slots of the channel flanges but prevent-s them from becomingentirely separated from the channel rnem- ,bers ,in ,which ses@ they' inlght besse@ 10St- .When the pair et blocks are placed in the adjacentl pairs: of slots in 'the channel walls erally of the slotsnnd` preventin'gthe 'dis' l engagement of the blocks from the channel members by endwise movement laterallyfot these members.

formed at various heights along the channel members by inserting the blocks into different vertically adjacent pairs of slots.

,Bridgingl the cross sectional area ofl the Cask, or other container, is a plate 20 which may, it desired, by reticulated to permit flow v,of theliquid contained in the cask therethrough, but acting' to holdbeneath it allv the meat lwhich may be in the cask. The plate should be of sufficient size to substantially close oit the cross sectional area-dt the cask and as shown is Vprovid-3d atfdiametrically opposite points with ears 2l of'sutticient size to-it between the llang'es of the ichannel'-members and between the upper andv lower blocks 10. After the meat yhas been putin the cask, both the blocks 10 are placed in thel proper slots vof. one of the 'channel members to bring 'the plate E20 at the proper height, the lower block is placed in position in the opposite channel member,- one ear 2l of the plate 2O is then inserted between the iipper and lower blocks BES eff the first mentio'nedchafnnel member, and the othery end. is then pushed vdownwardly on to the lower block in the other channel member, whereupon the upper block for this member is placed in position above it. The

@Slate is now released and the buoyancy of the 'meatrcauses the plate to ipush upwardly against the 'upper blocks on bothv sides. This plate, however, ettectually holds the meat belowthe surface. of the brine or other liquid; the -surface of which comes y somewhat above the pl ate.V then it is desired to remove the plate' to 'obtain Aaccess to the meat, it is pressed downwardly adjacent to one o't the channel members, the upper block in this channel member is removed and the plate 'allowed -to'rise up at this end,\vhere uponj-it may7 be grasped and ,pulled out ot engagement with 'the blocks and channel langesof the opposite channel member.

In Fimre's 6 and xa slight modification 'has `Vbeen 4show'nlin `which the effective distance .i between the y'channel .members may vary 'and vet permit 'the pressure plate. to properly cooperate therewith. This maybe done by mounting onV the presser plate 30,

as shown' in Fi'gure, la longitudinally slidabl'e -bar B1' having its `e'nd 32 'projectable 'to the desired -eXtent from the edge 0fthe plate' 30; diametricallly opposite 'to' they fixed 'lug SQ: As shownthis bar y'is heldin 4positi'onlby means otiitegral straps 33 extendii'i'g fro'i'n the 'plate '130' 'and -ia-t its 'in-nerend vn vo3.

These sockets 15 may be itl may be cgrasped and manipulated. l'In order to prevent completewdetacliment ot the bar 31 from the plate, it may be fixed thereto by means of a chain or cable, which as shown, 'hasone'end 'fixed to the upturned end 34 of the other end to one of the straps /Vhe're this type of presser plate is employed it is not necessary that the inner walls of the channel-supporting members should be approximately vertical since' the. bar 32 may be adjusted to suit the fdis'tance between the blocks I() even Lthough this idistance'may varv lengthwise of thechannel members.` This is shown in Figure 7 iny which the inner edges ot the 'channel vflanges 40 are inclined downwardlyia'n'd outwardly and substantially in parallelism to the Ibase fil on each member which is iixedto the *l inner Wall of the cask., Jiththis form of presser plate the ear 32 is placed in the socket lformed bv the blocksA Il0 andthe channel. fiann'esfin one'of Athe members It() and the end ot the IbarSQ'mayjbe Lprojecte'd to the proper extent to' engage in Jthe 'socket oit the opposite channel member incase the ear 32a .thereb'eneath .is ins'uicie'i'it in length to enter this socket. y

Having thus described certain. embodiments ot this invention itishonld bef'evident to those skilled in the lart that manyfch'anges and modifications may `be made therein vwithout departiiigfiom its spirit or scope as defined by the appended claims. f i i claim: l l. A device of. the class prisinga pair `of channel-shaped members attachable in opposed relation within the upper yportion of a container, a plate shaped to substantially bridge the internal cross sectional area lof said lcontainer, and having elements eng'ageable withinfthe channel. ot said members, and means for retaining said elements in position.' n Y 9.. device of the olassdescribed kcomprising a, pair ot channel-shaped members attachable in'opposed relation to the inner itace of a container, the flanges ot each of said members having' -oppositelv `arrfiii'ilfeil spaced slots therein, a pair of b'loeks tor each member, each "block enpga'geable in any of the lslots of its respective member. the. blocks et each pair 4being"spaced` 'apart when engaged 4in ythe ladjacent slots of their respective members, and a nlate bridgingsaid 'members and 'having'r elements eiipdageable between the blocks Vvof each pair.

3. A device of the class described comprising a pair of channel-shaped members attachable in opposed relation to rthe finner vfaceof a container,l the vla'ngesof each of said members @having oppoeitely arranged 'spaced slots "therein, "a pairof blocks iifor each 'described coinengaged in the adjacent slots of their respective members, and a plate bridging said members and having elements engageable between the blocks of each pair and between the fianges of said members.

Ll. A device of the class described comprising a pair of channel-shaped members attachable in opposed relation to the inner face of a container, the flanges of each of said members being slotted inwardly from their free edges in opposed relation, a paii` of blocks for each member each engageable in any pair of opposed slots of the corresponding member, and having heads wider than said slots outwardly of said flanges, each pair of blocks defining a socket between the flanges of the corresponding member when engaged in twopairs of slots, and a plate member bridging said container and having elements engageable in said sockets.

5. A device of the class described comprising a pair of channel-shaped members attachable in opposed relation to the inner face of a container, the flanges of each ofv said members being slotted inwardly from their free edges in opposed relation, a pair of blocks for each member each engageable in any pair of opposed slots of the corresponding member, and having heads wider than said slots outwardly of said flanges, each pair of blocks defining a socket between the flanges of the corresponding member when engaged in two pairs of slots, and a plate member bridging said container and having elements engageable in said sockets, said elements being adjustably spaced.

6. A device of the class described comprising a pair of members attachable inl opposed relation to the upper portion of a container, a pair of elements engageable with each member in spaced relation, and a plate having an element engageable between the elements of each pair to be retained in position thereby.

7. A device of the class described comprising a pair of members attachable in opposed relation within the upper portion of a container, a pair of elements engageable with each member in spaced relation in any of a plurality of positions, and a plate having an element engageable between the elements of each pair to be retained in position thereby.

8. A device of the class described comprising a pair of members attachable to i the wall of a container in opposed relation,

elements associable with each member toI define a socket adjustably positioned axially of said container, and a plate bridging said container and having elements extended within said sockets and retained in position axially of said container thereby.

9. A device of the class described comprising a pair of members attachable to the wall of a container in opposed relation, elements associable with each member to define a socket adjustably positioned axially of said container, a plate bridging said container and having elements extended within said sockets and retained in position axially of said container thereby, and means fory n attachable in opposed relation to the wall j.

of a container, a plate, and means engaging with the flanges of said members for holding said plate in position between said members.

12. A device of the class described vcomprising a pair of channel shaped members attachable in opposed relation to the wall of a container, a plate, and means selectively engageable in the slots of said flanges for holding said plate in position between said members.

13. A device o-f the class described comprising a pair of slotted members attachable in opposed relation to the wall of a container, a plate, means engaging selectively in the slots of said members for holding said plate in lposition between said members, and means for preventing disengagement of said engaging means and members ly' relative movement laterally of said memers.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

GEORGE E. CLARK. 

